March 6, 1897. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
425 
treat them ? I did not layer the plants last summer, 
and want to increase them.— Watercress. 
You will gain nothing by attempting to strike 
cuttings now, as even if they rooted they would not 
flower this year. Wait until July and layer as soon 
as the flowers are past their best. Cuttings may be 
struck at the same time if you desire it, or if there is 
no room to layer by reason of the plants being too 
thick. In such a case thin out the shoots by taking 
some to serve as cuttings, and thus make room 
to layer the rest. 
Smut on Rose Leaves —Can you tell me what 
the black smut on the leaf enclosed is, the cause of, 
and the cure for the same.— Watercress. 
The smut is caused by the excrements of Aphis. 
Prevention is better than cure here, so you must 
fumigate to kill the Aphis before they have had a 
chance to disfigure the leaves thus. The only 
method of removing the smut now is to sponge the 
leaves, as the dirt is too firmly fixed to be moved by 
syringing. This, however, will be too much of a job 
if they are big plants. If they are small ones in pots 
it might be worth doing. You must use your own 
discretion in this matter. 
Watercress as Manure. —I have a garden near to 
a Watercress bed. Last summer, when the bed was 
cleared out, a lot of the Watercress stalks were left. 
Are they of any use as a manure ? and if so, 
what flowers and vegetables would they suit best.— 
Watercress. 
The material in question should make a good 
manure, and would suit almost any kind of crops. 
Take care that it is well decomposed before you 
apply it to the soil. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM MRS. GEO. 
RUNDLE. 
The accompanying illustration has been prepared 
from a photograph placed at our disposal by a corres¬ 
pondent, who is also a Chrysanthemum grower. It 
represents a trained specimen which was exhibited 
at Dundee some years ago by a well-known grower. 
We do not consider it equal to the splendid specimens 
exhibited at the Jubilee Celebration of the National 
Chrysanthemum Society, in November last by Mr. 
D. Donald, gardener to J. G. Barclay, Esqr., of 
Leyton; but latitude and climate were more in 
favour of the southern grower. The farther north we 
go, the climate is cooler, and the growing season con¬ 
siderably shorter. The Chrysanthemum is a plant 
that cannot tolerate artificial hastening or forcing 
under glass ; so that any advantage which a northern 
grower may gain, must be largely due to cultural 
skill. We have not been informed, but take it for 
granted that the specimen under notice has been 
grown from an individual plant. That has been a 
sine qua non with southern exhibitors for a great 
many years, although in the early days of Chrysan¬ 
themum growing the practice was sometimes adopted 
of putting more than one plant in a pot for big 
specimens. Great improvements in culture have, 
however, to our knowledge, been effected in the 
northern counties within the last few years. 
Chrysanthemum Mrs. Geo. Rundle. 
FORCING OF VEGETABLES. 
(Concluded from p. 410). 
Kidney Beans, 
'' These constitute another acceptable vegetable early 
in the year, but I find from experience that unless 
one has good, light and well heated houses, good 
results are not obtained by sowing much earlier than 
the New Year, and in a temperature of 6o° to 65°, 
with a rise of io° by sun heat. It will take about 
seven weeks to have them fit to gather from the time 
of sowing; 8dn. pots are the most suitable for the 
first few batches. Some sow as early as August, so 
as to carry on without any break after the plants in 
the open ground have ceased bearing, but during 
November and December, generally dark, dull 
months, the returns are not very satisfactory. I 
think the end of December, or early in January, is 
soon enough. A batch should be sown every three 
weeks or a month. Plenty of light is necessary for 
this vegetable, or the plants get drawn up very soon. 
They require to be kept fairly near the glass, and do 
well on shelves. The syringe must be constant; 1 / 
moved among them whenever the weather is favour¬ 
able, if not they soon fall a prey to that horrid pest, 
red spider. A fairly light, though rich soil is 
necessary; loam, leaf soil, and a little manure from 
a spent mushroom bed, form a good compost. The 
pots should be filled to within 3 in. of the top, 
made fairly firm, and about ten seeds sown in each 
pot, and covered with in. of soil. If all the seeds 
come up, one can easily thin them out to six, which 
will be enough to leave. I generally pinch out 
the tops as soon as the first pair of proper leaves are 
formed, which causes them to throw up two growths. 
They will take a fair amount of water at this stage, 
in fact, they must never be too much on the dry side 
or spider will soon appear. As soon as they are 
from 4 in. to 6 in. high some twiggy shoots should be 
placed around them as a support. Old worn-out 
birch brooms are useful for this. When in flower they 
should be kept rather drier overhead, and a circulation 
of air is beneficial at this stage. As soon as they are 
set, some kind of manure should be given them two 
or three times a week. I find a little weak guano 
water, also diluted farmyard drainings, suit them 
very well. They should be well syringed morning 
and afternoons, when closing time arrives. The 
beans, as they become fit, should be gathered and 
tied up in small bundles, and their ends stood in 
water until you have enough for a dish. 
Ten and twelve inch pots can be used af:er the 
month of February is past, as they do not dry up as 
fast as the smaller pots. Boxes, too, are often made 
use of for later crops, about 2 ft. 3 in. long, 9 in. or 
10 in. wide, and the same in depth. These crops 
can be brought along in Peach houses, or the like, 
while a good many gardeners have to grow them in 
their vineries; but I must say I do not like them 
brought in here in case that foe of ours I have 
spoken of makes its appearance. Heated pits, 
similar to those I mentioned anent the Asparagus, 
make excellent places to grow them in when sown in 
rows 15 in. apart. A crop can also be hastened a 
few weeks by sowing in a frame, or cold pit, shutting 
up early in the afternoons, well syringing the plants 
